Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-02-24

anu I'D Tc6lly Oc "a some use IN thID
busy world. have come to propose our
services in Place of the clerks that have
struck. We want you to send them
away ut once, and until business starts
up again we will fill their places to the
best of our abilities" And Alice
stopped. with little choke in her
voice. while Papa Jayne took out his
handkerchief and actually cried. with
man.n:. and the girls to keep him COM
pany. But that didn't last long. and,
when papa emerged from his handker-
chief, with red and beaming face, he
could only cry:
"Bless you, my dear daughters, You
have taken a load from me that was fast
pulling me to the ground"
Then followed one of those delightful
home scenes. when every one talked at
once, and nobody understood what any
body else said, but all came out at tho
end feeling that there was nothing so
beautiful il this life as love. after all.
and that they had never half loved or
appreciated each other before. After
which papa and his new clerks came to
terms in a most business-like way. and
he departed to the store to send his
striking book-keeper and clerks away,
walking as if he were five-and-twenty
instead of five-and-sixty years of age.
When he was gone, the girls flew
around like madcaps, DOMINIC their
plainest street-suits and strongest shoes
in place of their dainty morning gowns
and kid slippers. while mamma offered
assistance in Il bewildcred manner.
feeling that her flock was about to take
wings and fly away, never to come back
again.
''What will you do about your stories.
dear??" she asked Ida. anxiOusiy. as she
helped her into her jacket.
"Let them grow for time, while l
live one out myself" she answered.
laughing gayly.
"And your painting. dear child?"
she said to May. tying her heavy vail
over her rosy cheeks to keep their
freshness from the prying spring wind.
''It will do it good to rest awhile,
and I'll paint all the better after this
new experience" replied the daughter,
giving the kind old face, so full of in
terest in her girls, loving pat.
81 shall keep up my music, mamma
DEAR" said Alice, merrily, "by singing
for you and papa, evenings. 1t always
rests me to sing, so don't worry about
me-"
II won't have any thing to give up,
or keep up either" sighed Bee, strug-
Cling into her gray ulster.
Eyes, you will,'' responded Alice;
"you must keep up your bright spirits.
my darling. SO rs to help your follow
ers on" And with last kiss and a
merry goodbye, the four girls, never
more lovely in their mother. eyes as
in their modest clothes, they started
out to aid their father;
fastened away to enter upon their new
duties at the large and beautiful store
of Jayne & Co.. on one of the finest
streets in the city of M.
The new order of things, of course.
caused great deal of comment at
first. and perhaps half-a-dozen So
called friends felt obliged to drop the
Jayne girls acquaintance, but when
these half-a-dozed nobodies saw how
their new departure had raised instead
of lowered them in the estimation of
all true people, they repented their
hasty action and ever after lived in a
state of perpetual bowling and bending
to the aforementioned young ladies,
much to the amusement of the family.
Mr.. Banks very soon succeeded in in
Miss Alice in the mysteries
Of bookkeeping, so as to make her of
great assistance in the office; while the
other girls took such an interest in
their part of the work that the always
store was doubly SO now.
and attracted customers from near and
far.
Papa Jayne. having so many reliable
helpers, found he could leave the store
for an afternoon now and then, and
take mamma out to drive in the cOun-
try, coming home at night refreshed
and joyful as a boy. while he was the
envy of all his business friends who
we're not fortunate enough to have four
fine, sensible daughters. Mamma
missed her girls from home, but occu-
pied her time in experimenting Won
lerful and appetizing meals. to which
hey did full justice. healthful and reg
alar work giving them ''appetites like
as Alice said. The summer
passed rapidly, each girl having her
of week in the country, and
the strike was thing of the past, when
ore evening papa Jayne read. as they
sat around the lamp, in the pleasant
library:
Well. my girls, our business is out
If danger now. and ! suppose you will
be thinking of leaving, SO I'll have to
be looking up other clerks"